Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Jan. 23-28

So we’re in it now. Many Maryland progressives got energized Friday and Saturday marching against the inauguration of Donald Trump and for the rights of women here and everywhere.

But Maryland is already having to plan measures to compensate for real damage to the state’s health care system as a result of the GOP’s rash demolition derby of the Affordable Care Act. And there is more to come, probably including an assault on many of our neighbors through over-the-top immigration enforcement.

Resistance, in other words, is called for – resistance every day to the mounting outrages. Trump, we see, is making the federal government irrelevant through his and his GOP colleagues’ complete flouting of their sworn constitutional duty to “promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

Thursday February 2 – 7 p.m. Progressive Cheverly Forum: The Future of Metro and Mass Transit in Cheverly and the County. Proposed cuts to the Metro system could directly impact our Cheverly station. Moreover, they can harm the local economy, and set back efforts for sustainable growth throughout Prince George's County. The Forum will address how best to address the very real challenges that affect Metro from the standpoint of those who work for system, those who rely on rail and bus service for transport, as well as from the perspective of county-wide development. More details and list of speakers will be forthcoming.

Want to get the latest on national progressive concerns? Check out Progressive Breakfast from our national affiliate, People’s Action/Center for American Progress.

Reading the Progressive Maryland BlogSpace: our blogs for the previous week are shown below, but if you want a handy way to keep track – and never miss a blog post – you can sign up to get this Weekly Memo by email. Remember this is your blogspace and your participation is heartily invited. See something going on that you don’t like – or that you do like and hope to see more of? Send us your thoughts; submit to the moderator at woodlanham@gmail.com.

Montgomery County can remain a progressive beacon in the fight against inequality with its passage of a $15 minimum wage -- but County Executive Ike Leggett should sign it, not threaten a veto, to seal his own progressive legacy. PM member Bobby Bartlett explains why it's a critical moment.

This will be the year we get earned, paid sick leave for the 750,000 Maryland workers currently without it. Rally tomorrow night in Annapolis to bring a full-coverage bill to passage and squelch the governor's watered-down version. NOTE UPDATED LOCATION

Democratic Senators could have voted for the Sanders-Klobuchar amendment to allow importation of prescription drugs from Canada, saving US drug customers millions. Thirteen instead voted with their Big Pharma benefactors, showing that the party has not learned the lessons of the failed Clinton effort and the value of Bernie Sanders's alternative, Hal Ginsberg observes.

A narrow 5-4 victory for the $15 minimum wage bill yesterday (Jan. 17) in Montgomery County is threatened by a veto from the county executive. Progressive Maryland and allies worked hard to build support for this critical effort to reduce inequality in Maryland's most expensive county. Context in the political blog Maryland Scramble, reposted here, shows candidates for the county executive race on both sides of the question.

As Prince George's County's liquor-store corruption probe unfolds, veteran columnist Barry Rascovar reminds us that the county has a long history of such official misbehavior and a lamentable reputation among state politicians on that account.

A big week for progressives, despite the looming Trump event; there will be many voices against his brand of politics. And Maryland progressives must keep an eye on state government, where the governor's budget is likely to drop this week. Plus the past week's blog posts, with summaries and links.

Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM BlogSpace since June 2015 are all available with descriptions and links here.